Touchless versus Brush Car Washing Equipment

Touchless versus Brush Car Washing Equipment

Touchless versus Brush Car Washing Equipment

Trying to research touchless versus brush car washing equipment? How do you choose which equipment is right for your Car Wash business & your customer? Here’s some tips.

We’ve got some pros & cons below for you to consider in the touchless versus brush car washing equipment debate, then you’ll need to think about your customer demographic, your competitors, site size, layout & study results of all of your due diligence. At Carwash World, as a car wash equipment supplier, we recommend you consider all of these need-to-know points provided below. It’s not really about which is better – it’s which is best for your business. Plus we cover some really critical questions you should be asking yourself when building your car wash site.

Touchless Car Washes

Pros

Nothing touches cars in a touch free automatic wash, except for chemicals & pressurised water. This greatly reduces any liability for damage during the wash cycle.

The water & chemicals are guided by Ultrasonics. This ensures the washing arm can get as close to the car as possible, as well as guiding around the contours of the vehicle ensuring a friction free clean.

Brushless car washes have improved their technology, making them quicker & more efficient. For example; a PDQ Laserwash 360 Plus now has wash cycles as quick as 3 minutes.

Check out the PDQ Laserwash 360 video here

Cons

If a car is completely caked in mud or covered in bugs, then a touchless car wash may not clean a heavy build up as well as a friction wash would. That being said, these sorts of issues can easily be circumvented by having your attendant on site educate your customers that perhaps a quick lather in the self serve bay to soften the bugs before entering will loosen the caked on residue & still get the desired result.

To get the best result, these touch free car washes are reliant on you understanding & using high quality chemicals. Operators who don’t take the time to learn how to get the best chemical delivery will result in unhappy customers.

Brush Car Washes

Pros

Due to the friction based nature of these machines, built up road dirt or stubborn bugs are more likely to be removed using this method.

On a brush style car wash, the brushes now are made of Neotex which shouldn’t scratch a car like the old nylon style from years ago. The technology for damage free brush washing has advanced, for example thePDQ Protouch Tandem car wash actually reverses as it goes around a car thus flicking away anything caught in it & ensuring it doesn’t touch the paint.

A brush car wash, aside from a more intensive clean, also gives the car a slight buff with its Neotex brushes. (Still confused about Neotex? It’s very much similar to wetsuit material.).

Check out the PDQ Protouch Tandem in action in this video

Cons

Even though this is also a pro above – friction washes can have a bad reputation in the marketplace. Some customers are still of the belief that machines can withhold dirt which scratches the car. This comes down to clearly communicating to your consumer in your marketing that the times & materials used, have changed. Machines now are no longer ‘brushes’ but a Neotex technology, designed to not harbour dirt & compromise paint work.

If a vehicle has any loose fixtures or fittings, not to mention any pre-existing damage then the friction wash can compound these issues. Customers should be advised not to use the wash in this instance to avoid any further damage to a vehicle.

Overall points

While you’re deciding what avenue you want to go down for your car wash site, go & get your car washed at as many places as possible. Test what’s currently on offer in the marketplace. We always recommend you talk to current owners of the equipment you’re considering, this give valuable insight for helping you make the right decision.

Do you know your customers? Do you know how they feel about touchless versus brush car washes? Have you thought about the area, the demographics, the types of cars they own & their income streams? Are you mapping out competition on your local area & surrounds? What are they doing that is working/not working?

Perhaps you’re looking to tap into local businesses – speak to them first. For instance, if you see an opportunity with local car dealers, fleet companies or repairers then go & take the time to actually speak to these businesses first. What is their current process for washing cars? How do they suggest their customers maintain their vehicles after purchase? What would make their life easier if you provided a service to them? Can you offer a more economical solution?

If you need to chat to an expert in car wash equipment – you can simply contact the team at Carwash World here.

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About Us

We provide professional car wash equipment to business throughout Australia. With over 35+ years experience, we specialise in everything from setting up a full turn-key solution for new operators, to teaching those currently in the automobile industry how to maximise profit & turnover, as well helping current car wash sites to upgrade their current machinery to new & more efficient technologies.